Nomine Renard Special Club Brut 2019

Nominé-Renard Special Club Brut 2019 is a vintage grower Champagne from the Côte des Blancs, bottled at 12.5% ABV in a 750ml format. What sets this cuvée apart is the "Special Club" designation — awarded only after the wine passes a rigorous blind tasting conducted by fellow members of the Club Trésors de Champagne, a collective of elite independent grower-producers.

Quick Facts: ABV: 12.5%  |  Origin: Champagne, France  |  Vintage: 2019  |  Designation: Special Club  |  House: Nominé-Renard

Production & Heritage

Champagne Nominé-Renard was founded in 1960 by Germaine Renard and her husband André Nominé in Villevenard, a village on the southern edge of the Côte des Blancs. The house operates as a Récoltant-Manipulant (RM), meaning it grows its own grapes and produces wine entirely on its estate — a hallmark of the grower Champagne movement. The Special Club bottling represents the house's most ambitious expression from a single vintage; only lots deemed exceptional by the Club Trésors de Champagne peer-review panel earn the right to be bottled in the distinctive embossed Special Club bottle. The 2019 vintage in Champagne was marked by a warm growing season with concentrated fruit and balanced acidity, producing wines of generous body.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with toasted brioche and almond before giving way to white flowers and honeycomb. A subtle undercurrent of chalky minerality develops with time in the glass, adding complexity.

Taste: The entry is creamy and textured, with ripe orchard fruit — pear and golden apple — anchoring the mid-palate. Citrus zest and a fine saline note emerge toward the peak, keeping the wine taut and structured despite its richness.

Finish: Medium-long, with persistent fine bubbles carrying flavors of lemon curd and toasted grain. A clean mineral thread lingers, inviting the next sip.

How to Drink Special Club Brut

Serve chilled to around 46–50°F in a tulip-shaped glass that concentrates the aromatics while allowing the mousse to express fully. This is a Champagne built for the table, not just the toast. A French 75 lets the brioche backbone stand up to gin and citrus with elegance. A Champagne Cocktail (with a sugar cube and Angostura) amplifies the wine's toasty depth. For a lighter approach, a simple Kir Royale with a bar spoon of crème de cassis plays beautifully against the orchard-fruit character.

Best For

• Celebrating a milestone anniversary or promotion with something distinctive and personal
• Gifting a Champagne enthusiast who appreciates grower over grande marque
• Pairing with a multi-course dinner where wine needs to carry the conversation
• Hosting an intimate New Year's Eve or holiday gathering

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Special Club Brut taste like? It delivers a creamy palate of ripe pear and golden apple layered with toasted brioche, citrus zest, and a fine mineral finish. The mousse is persistent and refined, giving it a textured, full-bodied presence uncommon at this level.

How does Special Club Brut compare to a grande marque non-vintage Champagne? Unlike blended non-vintage cuvées from large houses, the Nominé-Renard Special Club is a single-vintage, estate-grown wine that reflects a specific year and terroir. It tends to show more individuality and textural depth, trading broad consistency for site-specific character.

Is Special Club Brut good for sipping neat? Absolutely — it is designed as a gastronomic Champagne with the complexity and structure to reward slow, focused drinking on its own or alongside food.

Where is Special Club Brut made? Nominé-Renard is based in Villevenard, a commune on the southern Côte des Blancs in the Champagne appellation of northeastern France. All grapes are estate-grown and vinified on-site.

What foods pair well with Special Club Brut? Raw oysters and shellfish mirror its saline minerality. Seared scallops with brown butter complement the brioche notes. Aged Comté cheese echoes its nutty depth. Roasted chicken with herbs matches its body without overpowering the wine. Light sushi — particularly yellowtail or sea bream — works with its citrus acidity.

What sizes does Special Club Brut come in? The standard offering is the 750ml bottle, which is the format approved and embossed by the Club Trésors de Champagne.

Is Special Club Brut worth the price? It positions as a premium grower Champagne, sitting above everyday non-vintage bottlings but typically below prestige cuvées from major houses. The peer-reviewed quality assurance and single-vintage estate production represent strong value for the complexity delivered.

Why Special Club Brut?

The Special Club designation is not a marketing label — it is the result of a blind tasting by fellow Champagne growers who hold each other to the highest standard in the region. Only a fraction of bottles submitted each year earn approval. The 2019 vintage gave Champagne producers generous, ripe fruit balanced by enough natural acidity to preserve freshness, and this wine captures that character with precision. For drinkers seeking Champagne with genuine provenance — estate-grown, family-produced, and peer-validated — the Nominé-Renard Special Club Brut 2019 delivers an experience that large-house bottlings rarely replicate.